Removable pressure roller mechanism



July 11, 1967 1.. BENTZMAN 3,330,458

REMOVABLE PRESS'URE ROLLER MECHANISM Filed May 17, 1965 2 Sheecs-Sheet 1I NVEN TOR.

LOUIS BENTZMAN ATTO R N E Y.

July 11, 1967 BENTZMAN 3,330,458

REMOVABLE PRESSURE ROLLER MECHANISM Filed May 17, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2,L TL .151 1L 45L 3\ i 3 56 51 I s' o j IL." 1. m n g IN VEN TOR. LOUISBENTZMAN BY/(WV/A/W ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,33%,458 REMOVABLEPRESSURE ROLLER MECHANISM Louis Bentarnan, Levittown, Pm, assignor toQuik-Chek Electronics and Photo Corporation, Philadelphia, Pa., acorporation of Delaware F iied May 17, 1965, Ser. No. 456,082 3 Ciaims.(Cl. 22690) This invention relates broadly to the art of electrostaticcopy machinery and is more particularly directed to the field oftransporting copy paper in roll form through a machine quickly inresponse to copy demand.

The instant invention is concerned with an office type of electrostaticcopy machine designed to produce a large number of copies from anoriginal of any convenient size. In order to quickly accommodaterequirements for great numbers of copies when these copies can be ofvarying sizes in the instant associated machine, copy paper in roll formis fed into the copier and a solenoid operated knife separates the rollinto properly sized sheets in response to the instructions of theoperator. It is contemplated that the instant invention will findutility in a copy machine capable of a high rate of reproduction whereinthe paper must achieve a high velocity in its travel through themachine.

It is commonly known that when feeding papers, film and similar rolledproducts through a mechanism, jams frequently occur due to breakage ormechanical malfunctions. When this happens, the removing of the jammedmaterial from a complex mechanism usually presents a severe problem.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a roller assemblydesigned to permit easy removal of jammed material from an electrostaticcopy machine.

It is another object of this invention to provide a novel paper rollermechanism incorporating means to easily expose the transported paper asit is fed into a machine.

In prior art machines of the type set forth, a paper jam usually causeda major breakdown that required the services of a skilled mechanic inorder to clear the problem. Most prior art copy machines includecomplicated paper transport facilities located deep within the equipmentitself. Once a jam occurred, the machine had to be taken out of servicefor a considerable period of time causing great delays, loss of moneyand vexations on the part of the owner.

It is therefore a further object of the instant invention to provide aroller assembly including spring biased compression rollerscooperatively joined in a separately removable assembly.

It is another object of this invention to provide a novel papertransport roller assembly that may be readily removed by unskilledoperators upon the occurrence of a paper jam.

It is another object of this invention to provide a novel papertransport roller assembly that may be separately removed to clear apaper jam without the necessity of disassembling a major portion of theenclosing apparatus.

Many prior art hoto copy machines that incorporate paper transportrollers also suffer from other problems stemming from the use of highspeeds and quantities of roll paper. In such machines, it is a commonhappenin upon the occurrence of a breakage to have the paper wrap aroundthe roller and thereby cause a jam that is especially difiicult toclear.

It is another object of this invention to provide a novel papertransport roller assembly incorporating stationary construction toeliminate the possibility of paper wrap around upon the occurrence of abreakage.

3,33%,4-53 Patented July ill, 1967 ice It is another object of thisinvention to provide a novel paper transport roller assembly providedwith a plurality of transverse paper inhibiting fingers to preclude thepossibility of the paper wrapping itself about the roller and thuscausing a jam.

It is another object of this invention to provide a novel papertransport roller assembly that is rugged in construction, simple inoperation and trouble free upon use.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention will be had byreferring to the following description and claims of a preferredembodiment thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawingswherein like eference characters refer to similar parts through theseveral views and in which:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a roller assembly constructed inaccordance with the instant invention with the spring in untensionedposition.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view thereof.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view thereof in roller contact with thespring in tensioned position.

FIG. 4 is a top perspective view of the roller assembly in place in aphoto copy machine.

FIG. 5 is a top perspective view of the invention with the rollerassembly removed to expose the interior features of the forward end ofthe photo copy machine.

Although specific terms are used in the following description for thesake of clarity, these terms are intended to refer only to theparticular structure of my invention selected for illustration in thedrawings and are not intended to define or limit the scope of theinvention.

Referring now to the drawings, 1 show a novel removable roller assemblygenerally designated A and a stationary stripper bar generallydesignated 3 for use within a copy machine wherein the copy paper 12 israpidly fed for copying purposes from a roll of paper (not shown) thatis stored in another part of the machine. As best seen in FIGS. 4 and 5,the paper feeds from the roll to the roller assembly A wherein it is cutto any of several predesignated sizes by a solenoid actuated rotaryknife 16 in response to signals received from the operator.

As best seen in FIGS. 1-3, the roller assembly A comprises spaced pairsof roller links 18, 20 and 22, 24 pivotally joined respectively at oneend to permit rotative motion of the rollers 23, about the main shaft26. The input nip roller 28 is rotatively carried between the links 20,24 at their respective free ends on bearings of suitable design topermit free rotation in response to frictional forces from the drivinginput roller 32. An output nip roller 30 is rotatively carried betweenthe links 18, 22 at their respective free ends on bearings of suitabledesign to permit free rotation in response to frictional forces from thedriving output roller 34.

A transverse tie bar 36 joins the links 20, 24 to form a sturdy assemblyby providing a fixed member. The spaced extension springs 38, 40respectively bias links 18, 2t) and 22, 24 together to the untensionedposition indicated in FIG. 1 when the assembly is removed from themachine 10. When installed, the main shaft extensions 42, 44 ridedownwardly in right and left bayonet slots 46, 48 and then forwardlyuntil firmly seated in the slot recesses. In this manner, the inputroller 28 and the output roller 30 are respectively urged into firm,frictional, rotative contact with the driven input roller 32 and drivingoutput roller 34. It will be observed that the links 18, 20 and 22, 24pivotally open about the main shaft 26 against the bias of the springs38, 40* as the extensions 4-2, 44 are downwardly seated into position. Atransverse cam bar 50 pivotally mounts across the copier 10 in aposition suitable to contact the forward links 20, 24. Flat cut out barsections 52, 54 are spaced to underlie the forward links and aconveniently located operating handle 56 rotates the cam bar whendesired.

As best seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, when the roller assembly A is inoperating position, the undercut flat surfaces 52, 54 are turned throughthe handle 56 to underlie the links 20, 24 without contact, therebypermitting the engagement of the shaft extensions 42, 44 within theslots 46, 48 to pull the rollers 28, 3% into close contact. When it isdesired to thread a sheet of paper 12 between the input rollers, thehandle 56 is turned and the cam bar 50 is rotated until the curvedportion thereof contacts the links 29, 24 and thus raises the inputroller 28. When the threading operation is completed, the cam bar isreturned to its initial position and the springs 38, 4Q pull the roller28 back into frictional contact with the driving roller 32.

Referring now to FIG. 5, it will be seen that the stripper assembly Bcomprises the driving output roller 34 and a fingered platform 58 incooperative arrangement. The roller 34 is segmented into a plurality ofsmall rollers 62 which are all rotated in unison by the driving shaft60. The individual rollers 62 are spaced sufiiciently to permit theplatform fingers 64 to extend therebetween without touching or binding.The fingers 64 will absolutely prevent the leading edge of the paper 12from wrapping about the output roller 34.

It will thus be seen that roller assembly has been constructed to bereadily removable simply by urging the shaft extensions 42, 44 out oftheir retaining slots 46, 48. Once the removal action has beeninitiated, the bias of the springs 38, 41 will aid disassembling theparts. In the event of a paper jam, means have thus been provided toquickly and easily get to the source of the trouble without the need ofany special tools or special skills whatsoever. By providing theplurality of spaced fingers extending between the individual rollers2,-a

simple and inexpensive platform has been constructed that permitsunimpaired roller operation and at the same time, prevents wrap aroundof materials on the roller in the event of breakage or malfunction.

Although I have described my invention with a certain degree ofparticularity, it is understood that the present disclosure has beenmade only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details ofconstruction and the combination and arrangement of parts may beresorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the inventionas hereafter claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. In a removable pressure roller mechanism paper through a machine, thecombination of a main shaft;.

a pair of left roller links pivotally carried by the said shaft,

said links being spaced from the left end of the said shaft;

a pair of right roller links pivotally carried by the said shaft,

said links being spaced from the right end of the said shaft;

feeding spectively pivotally together about the said main shaft;releasing means built into the said machine,

said means removably securing the said main shaft, said means utilizingthe bias of the said spring means; and a cylindrical cam bartransversely secured to the said machine beneath the said forwardmostright and left links,

said cam bar being cut to provide flat bar sections underlying the saidforwardmost links, said cam bar having an initial position wherein therounded surface contacts the said forward links and raises them againstthe bias of the said spring means, said cam bar having a second positionwherein the said flat bar sections contact the said forward linksthereby permitting the spring means to pull the attached input roller toa lower position.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein the said releasing means includeslotted means adapted to receive the respective ends of the said mainshaft, the said slotted means being cut to provide downwardly positionedright and left bayonet slots and which downwardly respectively terminatein forwardly extending recesses.

3. The invention of claim 1 and a driving output roller in rotatingcontact with the said driven output roller, the said driving outputroller being divided into a plurality of spaced roller segments and apaper restraining platform associated with the said driving outputroller, said platform supporting a plurality of spaced fingers, saidfingers extending through the spaces between the said roller segmentswhereby paper is prevented from wrap- V ping around the said drivingoutput roller.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,719,946 7/1929 Sherman 226-2,646,337 7/1953 Gorham 22690 X 2,830,810 4/1958 C-olburn et al. 226-187X 3,010,565 11/1961 Pasinski 226194 X 3,073,590 1/1963 Romeo et al226-187 X 3,101,913 8/1963 Davis 226187 X 3,132,857 5/1964 Carlson226194 X 3,163,446 12/1964 Muney 226-194 X M. HENSON WOOD, JR., PrimaryExaminer.

ALLEN N. KNOWLES, Examiner.

1. IN A REMOVABLE PRESSURE ROLLER MECHANISM FEEDING PAPER THROUGH AMACHINE, THE COMBINATION OF A MAIN SHAFT; A PAIR OF LEFT ROLLER LINKSPIVOTALLY CARRIED BY THE SAID SHAFT, SAID LINKS BEING SPACED FROM THELEFT END OF THE SAID SHAFT; A PAIR OF RIGHT ROLLER LINKS PIVOTALLYCARRIED BY THE SAID SHAFT, SAID LINKS BEING SPACED FROM THE RIGHT END OFTHE SAID SHAFT; AN INPUT ROLLER ROTATIVELY SUPPORTED BETWEEN THEFORWARDMOST LEFT LINKS AND THE FORWARDMOST RIGHT LINKS; A DRIVEN OUTPUTROLLER ROTATIVELY CARRIED BETWEEN THE OTHER OF SAID LEFT LINKS AND THESECOND OF SAID RIGHT LINKS; SPRING MEANS BIASING THE SAID RIGHT AND LEFTLINKS RESPECTIVELY PIVOTALLY TOGETHER ABOUT THE SAID MAIN SHAFT;RELEASING MEANS BUILT INTO THE SAID MACHINE, SAID MEANS REMOVABLYSECURING THE SAID MAIN SHAFT, SAID MEANS UTILIZING THE BIAS OF THE SAIDSPRING MEANS; AND A CYLINDRICAL CAM BAR TRANSVERSELY SECURED TO THE SAIDMACHINE BENEATH THE SAID FORWARDMOST RIGHT AND LEFT LINKS, SAID CAM BARBEING CUT TO PROVIDE FLAT BAR SECTIONS UNDERLYING THE SAID FORWARDMOSTLINKS, SAID CAM BAR HAVING AN INITIAL POSITION WHEREIN THE ROUNDEDSURFACE CONTACTS THE SAID FORWARD LINKS AND RAISES THEM AGAINST THE BIASOF THE SAID SPRING MEANS, SAID CAM BAR HAVING A SECOND POSITION WHEREINTHE SAID FLAT BAR SECTIONS CONTACT THE SAID FORWARD LINKS THEREBYPERMITTING THE SPRING MEANS TO PULL THE ATTACHED INPUT ROLLER TO A LOWERPOSITION.